The Badger's Will
by thenextladyknight725
Summary: Daine is stuck in the form of a golden eagle and Numair is in distress for her well-being. Little do they know the Badger will be there to help soon. Daine/Numair
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 Forest Realizations**

A man rode threw the woods with a golden eagle perched upon his shoulder. He was tall, about 6'5", with black hair and brown eyes, and appeared to be no older than 40. He was dressed in a blue tunic and breeches with his hair back in a horse tail.

A lady no taller then his chest rode beside him. She had red hair and violet eyes, and was dressed in a black tunic with a cream under shirt and breeches. "Numair, it's getting dark," the woman said, "we need to set up camp."

The man called Numair sighed. He wanted to get to Corus as soon as possible. "Yes, yes you are right Alanna." he said. They stopped in the cover of a massive chestnut tree and set up camp.

When they finished, Numair set up rocks around the camp and mumbled something not understandable as he walked the camp in a circle. Black fire with white specks glowed from the rocks. They began to hum and rumble as he walked his circles. On the final lap, a dome of the black fire shot over their heads and when they touched, disapeared.

"There, now nobody will be able to see or hear us." Numair mumbled to himself. Alanna rolled her eyes. He had done the same spell every night for the last two weeks. _He must be worrying still_, Alanna thought to herself as she set up a perch for the eagle, _he always worries about Daine_. The eagle called Daine was now on Numair's arm preening him gently.

"I promise I will get you back to normal," he whispered lovingly to Daine the eagle, "you won't be an eagle forever." Alanna sat next to him and clapped him on the back. "We will get her to Jon and Onua," Alanna told him, "they will know what to do." Daine grabbed the claw that hung around her neck and shoved it into Numair's face. He fingered it and gasped.

"You are right Daine!" he exclaimed, " Why didn't I think of that!" Numair turned to Alanna and showed her the claw. "The Badger!" he told her. She jumped up, and ran to Daine. "How can we contact him?" she asked.

The bird screeched. _She_ _had to be human again to ask him for help_, Daine thought. The Badger God had looked after Daine since her family was killed by bandits in Snowsdale. Her mom after death had become a goddess when her husband and Daine's dad ,Weiryn a hunting god, asked for her from the Black God. Daine's parents had sent the Badger God to help and guide her through her demi-god related problems. He seemed to just show up, and his mood was quite unpredictable at that.

Numair talked to Daine wishing she could reply. "I wish Tkaa were here," Numair told Alanna, "He could tell us what Daine is saying." "Well, he is not, so we will deal with this ourselves." retorted Alanna. Numair sighed. _She is right_, he thought, _why is she always right_? "Let's get some sleep." he said to Alanna. He crawled into his bedroll as Daine flew to her perch.


	2. Chapter 2 Tauros

**A/N: Hey my followers and first time readers, I hope you liked the first chapter, so here is the second one. Ok I know that I don't have many readers, but I really NEED reviews so I can see my flaws and things I did right in my works! So please review.**

**Disclaimer: Dang, I wish I owned this, but I am sad to say I don't. It all belongs to Mrs. Tamora Pierce (that lucky duck)**

**Chapter 2 Tauros**

The next morning, the pair ate lumpy porridge (made by Alanna), and left as soon as they were through. They rode on. They stopped at a pond to drink and rest when Daine started to screech. She flapped and took off from Numair's arm.

"What's wrong, Daine!" he yelled to her. The eagle dove down out of sight and a second later Numair and Alanna herd an angry wail. Alanna grabbed her sword and ran towards the sound cursing all the way. She looked back and saw Numair at her left running in long strides.

_The man is lucky_, thought the extremely short Alanna, _he doesn't have to try as hard as me to run_. They came to a pond and saw a tauros being attacked by an eagle. This time Numair laid down a slew of curses.

Numair thought of the time a tauros tried to rape Daine while in the Realm of the Gods. He cursed again. Alanna was already running forward with her sword raised.

_If only Lady Keladry of Mindelan were here_, he thought, _we could use her glaive skills to inflict serious damage on this tauros' manhood_. The mage let a laugh escape. He said a very strange word as black fire shot from his fingertips. The tauros burst into flames. Alanna backed away from the burning tauros, in which she had afflicted a lot of damage.

The eagle was perched on her hand looking at the ground. _Poor Daine_, thought Alanna, I_ know she hates when creatures are in pain, even if they are monsters_. When she reached the mage, Daine flew to him and carefully examined him. The bird nodded satisfied with her love's condition. They walked back to the pond and their horses in silence. When they arrived, Alanna noticed the wetness in the eagle's eyes.

"Numair," she asked, "can birds cry?" "No, I don't believe so," he replied, "Why?" Numair looked at Daine and saw the wetness around her dark eyes. "Mithros, bless." he muttered. "What does this mean?" asked the lioness. "It means she is turning back to normal," replied the mage, "gradually though."Alanna stared at him. _If only it were him stuck as a bird_, she thought, _Daine would know exactly what to do with him. She has done it before!_ "Maybe Onua can help speed up the process when we reach Corus." Alanna suggested, "She was the only other one in the tent with you while you were a hawk." The mage looked at her and scowled. They had already been over this. Daine had nursed him back to health, not Onua.

_For Mithros sake, she was there!, _he thought. "Yes, but Onua didn't heal me Daine did, and considering she is the one in this predicament" Alanna cut him off. "Of course I know she healed you, you dolt, but what other option do we have?" Numair sighed. _Calm down_, he told himself, _you don't want to get in a fight with the Crown's hot-tempered champion_. Numair offered Daine his hand, and she gingerly stepped on to it. The mage took out his handkerchief and gently wiped the tears from her eyes. He then kissed her beak.


	3. Chapter 3 Corus

**A/N: **Omg! I'm so happy! I got followers! Lemme say thank you *extravagant Neal bow* I also wanna thank my beta and bestie on this site Midnight's Revenge. I couldn't get through it without ya gurl :) Ok so I'm gonna admit, this is my very first piece (yes awesome followers, I know The Rider's Budding Romance was posted first but I wrote this originally) and it is not my best. Please, Please, Please **REVIEW!** If you don't then I REFUSE to post another chappie! LOL, JK I won't refuse, I'm not that mean. :P

**~oOo~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own this...*tear* **

**~oOo~**

**Chapter 3 Corus**

The knight and mage mounted and continued on. They had just passed a sign saying they had entered the Royal Forest, when Alanna kicked her horse, Dark Moon, into a gallop. Numair looked up to see her riding off and wondering what had possessed her to gallop as if being chased by a rabid bear. **(A/N: See what I did there?;P)**Daine jumped from Numair's shoulder and took off soaring through the trees.

"What in Mithros name?" he muttered. He kicked Spots into a gallop holding on for dear life. Daine is right, Numair thought, I really do need to work on my riding skills. The mage finally caught up to Alanna and Daine only to find the knight on the ground laughing her head off. Meanwhile Daine was making one of the weirdest sounds to ever come out of an eagle while swooping and swerving in the air.

"What could have possessed you to do that?" he questioned the beet-red woman. He was out of breath, something Daine teased him about constantly. She always said, 'You aren't the one running, the horse is!" Thinking about it the mage let a breathy laugh escape.

"I don't know what came over me, but Daine followed me and started circling and diving all around me. I promptly fell off Dark Moon and we started laughing. I guess Daine must have loosened my saddle because it fell off completely and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground" Alanna exclaimed.  
"She is laughing Numair! Birds can't laugh!"

Numair just looked from her to Daine in utter disbelief, leaving Alanna to get up and put her tack back on Dark Moon. They took it easy the rest of the way to Corus.

When they arrived at the palace, Onua rushed up to them. "Goddess bless Daine!" she said, "I thought you were smarter than Numair!" The bird laughed her strange sqwak of a laugh. Oh, Onua I missed you, Daine thought.

The horse mistress had a glove on so the eagle flew right up to her and Onua carried her to the king. Numair and Alanna followed behind conversing quietly about the journey. They came upon the king's chamber and knocked. "Come in." a strong assertive voice called. King Jonathan of Conte' and Tortall sat at a desk in the corner of his chamber. He wore a blue tunic and black breeches bringing out the blue of his eyes and black of his hair and beard. He stood and walked to the visitors.

"Numair, Alanna, Daine welcome!" he said. Jon went over and clapped Alanna and Numair on the back. He walked to Daine and Onua and bowed not sure entirely what to do to greet Daine.

"Jon, Onua we need your help," Alanna told them, "Daine has been stuck like this for two and a half weeks."

"Yes, we have nursed her to health, but we can't change her back to her human-form." Numair explained. "I don't know why though," the mage continued, "when I was a hawk I was turned back immediatly after my health returned slightly, but Daine is perfectly healthy."

Onua looked at Jon and shook her head. "I have no idea on what to do." Onua said. Jon looked down and then shook his head. "The Fall Equinox." Jon said as he looked up.

Daine flapped her wings and screeched. Yes! Yes!, Daine thought, My mother will come and help me! Daine's parents, as only minor gods, could come to the mortal realm only during equinoxes. Numair looked at Daine and smiled.

"Your mother is gonna skin me when she sees you as an eagle." he said. The eagle flew to the mage and coddled him. "I know you won't let her get away with it." he told her letting out a chuckle. Daine let out her sqwak-laugh only to get weird looks from the king and his horse mistress.

"She is starting to show human traits again," Alanna explained, "it took us by surprise at first too."

She looked at her companion's faces and laughed. "Close your mouth, you'll catch bugs." she joked. Jon laughed as Onua tapped her foot.

**A/N:** Ok so I know this was a boring chappie, but it will help explain the next chapter. I really need you to review. I will give you all a piece of candy if you review. :)


	4. Chapter 4 Of Sweet Dreams and Nightmares

**A/N: Hey what up my followers! Sorry I haven't posted in a while... I honestly don't know where I am going with this story, soooooo please GIVE ME SUGGESTIONS, and review! :)**

The next morning, Numair awoke and sat up straight quickly. _That awful nightmare again, _he thought.

Numair looked over to see Daine asleep in a pile of blankets on a chair. He smiled. _At least one of us can get restful sleep,_ the mage thought.

He was wrong of course, very wrong. Daine saw her dream as vividly as if it were in real life. _Gainel, the dream god stood before Daine's human form. His eyes as bottomless as before. The badger god was standing next to him._

_"Daine," he growled at her, "of course you would get into this mess." Gainel looked down at him and held out a hand for silence. _

_"I am sending the Badger to you soon," the god told her, "he will talk to the mortal-mage to tell him how to get you out of your eagle form." Just then a Stormwing came swooping down. It was Rikash her dead friend who fought for her in the Immortals War. _

_"Rikash!" she exclaimed. "How is Maura?" he asked. Maura of Dunlath was the teenage girl who Rikash had always had a soft spot for. _

_"She is now fully in charge of Dunlath." Daine told him. _

_"Well, that is besides the point." Rikash told her, "I came to tell you that if you do not turn human before the Fall Equinox, you shall stay an eagle." _

With that Daine awoke with a start. She had to tell Numair and the others, but how?

**A/N: Hey I'm sorry really short. SUGGESTIONS!**


End file.
